Playing our part at COP26

What was COP26?  

COP26, which took place in Glasgow from 31 October to 12 November 2021, was the UN's 26th annual climate summit and meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP). It brought together politicians, leaders, and organisations from across the world to discuss accelerating climate action, and several senior representatives from the National Trust attended to participate in the summit and observe the negotiations.

Why did COP26 matter to the National Trust? 

• Our own research (for example on mapping climate hazards) underlines that climate change poses one of the biggest threats to the places that we care for.  

• We're at the forefront of practical action on climate change, embedding this into our approach to conservation and management.

• COP26 in the UK represented an opportunity for us to build partnerships, share our experience and expertise, and advocate for a climate agreement which helps minimise the impact of climate change for nature, heritage, people and places. 

What happened at COP26?

COP26 was critically important. It was an opportunity for nations that signed up to the Paris Agreement to present their plans to cut carbon emissions as part of efforts to limit global warming to below 2C (ideally 1.5C) compared to pre-industrial levels. 

The Glasgow negotiations achieved some success. They continued to push the global transition towards renewable energy and effectively recognised the role that restoring nature must play in fighting climate change. The final agreement, however, fell significantly short of the critical goal of reducing emissions to a level that keeps increases to average global temperatures within +1.5C.

Key aspects of the Glasgow Climate Pact agreed at COP26 include:

• If countries meet current pledges to cut carbon emissions, global heating would be limited to 2.4C.
• Countries will meet again in 2022 to pledge further cuts in a bid to keep temperature rises inside 1.5C. 
• Countries agreed to reduce the use of coal and phase out subsidies on coal, oil and natural gas. 
• A pledge to significantly increase financial support to help poorer countries cope with climate change and transition to cleaner energy. 

A number of other significant agreements were made including commitments to cut methane emissions and stop deforestation. 

What needs to happen next?

The UK Government remains the COP president until November 2022, at which point it will pass over to Egypt. During the next 12 months we want to see the Government turn the commitments made at COP26 into action by accelerating domestic policy and lobbying for greater speed and ambition in delivery abroad. 

The places the National Trust cares for are at the forefront of the climate emergency. We've already had to make significant changes to how we manage land, source energy, protect wildlife and look after historic buildings and collections. And we'll continue lobbying for robust environmental policies that reduce the threat of the climate and nature crises.

Read the latest news and updates below. 

Are you looking for ideas on how to take action on the climate crisis? From lobbying politicians to reducing your own individual carbon footprint, there are many different ways to join the fight against climate change.